Improvement in drying and glazing gunpowder



J. SMITH, Deod.

G. S. SMITH & W. G. BATES, Executors. DRYING AND- GLAZING GUNPOWDER.

No. 46,275. Patented Feb. 7 1865.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VIIJIAIAM Gr. BATES, OF \VESTFIELD, MASS, AND OATHARINE SrSMlTH, OF

KINGSTON, N. Y., EXECUTORS OF JOHN SMITH, DECEASED.

IMPROVEMENT IN DRYING AND GLAZING-GUNPOWDER.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. 46,275. dated February 7, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that J OHN SMITH, late of Kin gston, Ulster county, State of New York, now deceased, discovered a new principle of operation in the methodot' drying and glazing gunpowder, and an apparatus for using and applying such principle; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters of 'o't'glaz'in g gunpowder, and performing both at the same time.

To enable others skilled in the art of making gunpowder to use the said discovery, we will proceed to explain the method of applying the same, invented by the said JOHN SMITH, together with the advantages of the process.

Heretofore the powder after having been grained in the coming-mill has been put into revolving barrels or cylinders, partially filling the same, and glazed by the attrition of the grains as the barrels or cylinders revolved. Thenext process is to remove the the powder to the dry-house, and there submit it to. the action of-heat.

The principal objection to this method is that the process is slow,.and the liability to serious accidents in consequence of the accumulation of powder is much greater than in using this system, which combines the two processes in one, and greatly decreases the time expended in reaching the same resultby the old method.

.lVe are aware that drying to a limited extent has been accomplished by the admission of cold air into the barrels, making a circulation; but we are not aware that heated air, or heat produced or carried in any manner has everbeen introduced into the barrels for the purpose of drying the powder and assisting in the glazing. After many experiments we find that by introducing heat into the glazing-barrels while the process of glazing is going on we can both glaze the powder and dry the same in less than half the time consumed by the old process, and the glazing is more perfectly performed. The method of doing this, which we prefer, is to admit. or force hot air directly into the glaze-barrels containing the powder, producing a current of heated air through the cylinders in a greater or less degree while the barrels or cylinders are revolving. This dries anddusts the powder, and renders the process of glazing more perfect. Heat can be conducted through the cylinders by steam or hot water in pipes and in other ways, but we prefer the direct application of the heated air, and we would refer to the accompanying drawings in illustrating the method of use. We generally use a cluster of barrels, consisting of four cylinders placed longthwise around a common axis,by which the whole is revolved together." These with slides, through which the powder is placed in and taken out of the cylinders.

Figure I represents a view of the cluster,

A A. Fig. 11 represents a sectional longitudinal view of the cluster, showing the interior of two of the cylinders. Fig. III represents a vertical section of the drum, through which the hot air is introduced into the cylinders.

This drum appears in Fig. I at B, and a lateral section thereof in Fig. 11 at D. This drum is so constructed that the heads-of it revolve with the'axis to which they are fast- -cued. The remaining portion of the drum, (shown in Fig. I at (0,) and in which is an aperture for the admission of hot air, remains stationary, the heads revolving upon it as closely jointed as possible, so as to admit but little it any escape of the hot air. The head'ot' the drum next to the cylinders is perforated with four holes communicating by tubes with each of the cylinders at or near the center'of the circular end of each, as shown in the figures at C O O C. At the center of the other end of the cylinders is an aperture, one in each, for the escape of the air after passing through the cylinders.

The hot air isforced into the drum by blow ers, or otherwise, from a furnace situated at cylinders with the powder in them are revolving. The hot air passes through the drum and pipes into the cylinders and out at the cylinders have holes, two in each, covered in which three of the cylinders appear at A a safe distance from the apparatus, while the other end of the same, the cylinders in the meantime constantly revolving, and thus the process of drying and glazing at the same time goes on-till finished.

What we claim as the discovery and invention of the said JOHN SMITH, and for which we desire Letters Patent, is-

1. The application of heat to the cylinders or other vessel in which powder is glazed, while the process of glazing is going on, for the purpose of glazing and drying the powder at one operation, substantially as above described.

2. The method of carrying the same into operation by means of hot air and the apparatus above described, substantially as above set forth. v

GATHARINE S. SMITH. WM. G. BATES. Executors of John Smith, deceased. Witnesses as to signature of Catharine S. Smith R. W. TAPPIN, WILBUR F. HEATH. Witnesses as to signature of William G. Bates:

M. B. WHITNEY, O. J. SNOW. 

